


Life, In Pieces

by Rivermoon1970



Category: Criminal Minds, Supernatural, The Sentinel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, Big Bang Challenge, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, M/M, SPN AU Big Bang, Sentinel/Guide Bonding, Slash, mild verbal abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 09:34:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9316091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivermoon1970/pseuds/Rivermoon1970
Summary: Dean came online after a violent altercation as an investigator for the DC Prosecutor's office. He was told that he was latent and would never come online. Now, his life has changed drastically. He not only has to learn who he is as a new Sentinel, but finding out that his long-time friend, Derek Morgan, is his Guide will rock his world. Navigating through this new reality that he finds himself in isn't easy, but with his Guide, his brother Sam and his friends Dean will piece his life back together and find something unexpected.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mandylynn4](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandylynn4/gifts).



**Story** : Life, In Pieces  
**For** : SPN AU Big Bang 2016  
**Writer** : rivermoon1970  
**Artist** : Mandylynn4  
**Beta'd by** : DarkJediQueen, SpencerTibbsLvr  
  
  
Link to the additional fantastic art: [Life, In Pieces Art](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9259169)  
  
  
  
art by I-Want-A-Dean-Sam-Castiel-PBJ  
  


**Part 1**

 

Somehow Dean didn’t think his life could get any weirder. But, of course, it did. He woke-up that morning, and the headache he had been having for the last three days was still plaguing him. He sat-up, grabbed the bottle of Advil and dry swallowed three of them. Slinking out of bed, he went to his bathroom and started a hot shower, hoping it would also help the body aches and fever he had been battling, as well. He couldn’t get sick. He had too many things to do that day. The project he had been working on for his finals thesis at school still needed some final touches. Then he had to go into the Prosecutor’s office and see what jobs they had for him. He also had to tell the lead prosecutor for the DiAngelo case that the witness he was following-up on was lying.

Of course between work and school, there was all the little shit that had to get done. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of his little brother, making sure he ate at school, and also that he had his work schedules updated on his phone. He didn’t mind taking care of Sam. He had been helping all of his life. His mother pressing it upon him that he was the older brother, and had to always watch out for him. Sam could be forgetful when in research mode, and getting him to take care of himself was sometimes a job all on its own.

Then there was the weird. That little thing that they both shared. The thing they didn’t like to talk about, but their parents had Missouri train them to use it, to shield their minds and block out the unwanted images that came to them. Dean’s _gift_ wasn’t as strong as Sam’s, but lately it had been pushing at him, forcing him to see the things he didn’t want to see. And, ever since getting the crap knocked out of him by the lying little bitch’s boyfriend, who was damn huge, by the way, the images were getting worse. Each one stronger than the last.

Dean kept seeing a man, a damned handsome man, smiling at him, and reaching out for him. But every time Dean tried to hold onto the image, it quickly faded, and he couldn’t keep it in his head. All of these thoughts were on a loop as he stood there, trying to calm the aches and pains in his body.

“ _Dean_ ,” the shouting and the face slap brought him out of whatever fugue state he had found himself in. The shower had been turned off, and Sam was standing there in front of him looking worried.

“Sammy? What the hell?” Dean frowned, grabbed the towel that was on the side of the sink, and wrapped it around himself. He grabbed the other one, and stiffly started to dry himself off.

“Dean, you were in a zone.”

“Zone? I don’t freakin’ zone Sammy, now let me by so I can at least get out of the damn bathroom,” he growled. He glared as Sam put up his hands and let him move out of the bathroom, back to his bedroom.

“Dean, you were in there for almost forty-five minutes. Now I know you’re a bit vain, but even you don’t take that long of a shower. Dude, what’s going on with you?”

“I was not…” Dean was about to protest when Sam just got _that look_. The one that told Dean to shut-up, and actually listen for once. “Okay, so I was in there for too long. What is your deal Sammy?”

Sam sat on the bed, and took a deep breath.

“I think you’re coming on-line, Dean.”

Dean frowned again at Sam, then shook his head and chuckled.

“And, I think you got knocked upside the head. I am not coming on-line. We’re supposed to be dormant, remember?”

“Yeah, well I don’t know, Dean. I think you need to go to a Center, get checked out. You know?”

“Dude, I’m fine. I am not…” the high pitched noise of cars swiftly going by their apartment had Dean doubling over holding his ears to try to calm the spike of pain. Slipping to the floor, Dean curled in on himself, and tried to speak, but couldn’t. The next thing he remembered was passing out on the floor with Sam shouting, asking if he was okay.

___________________________________________

Waking-up hurt. His whole body was sore, he still had the headache, but it was duller, calmer than it had been the last few days. He sat-up and noticed the white room, the white noise generator and the cool temperature. He looked down at himself, and felt the soft, natural cotton of the clothes he was wearing. The rash he had been developing was gone as well.

“Son-of-a-bitch,” he said to himself as he looked around. “Hey, anyone out there?” He didn’t want to try to sense anyone on the other side of the door, but he heard a heartbeat. He was focusing on that sound when the door opened and a man stepped through.

“Well, Mr. Winchester, we were not sure how much longer you were going to be under, but the Center Doctors said that you needed as much sleep as you could get.”

Wiping a hand down his face, Dean took a deep breath, and braced his arms on the bed as he looked-up at the man.

“How long have I been out?”

“Three days. We thought it would be one or two more. Your body was pretty bruised and everyone here thought that a good natural rest was the best thing for you. Now, we have several questions for you, Mr. Winchester, if you’re up for it.”

“Can I at least get a name? I’d like to know who the hell it is I’m talkin’ to.”

The man chuckled as he grabbed a chair and sat down.

“I apologize for my manners. My name is Tyler James, and I’m the current Omega Prime Guide for the Eastern Seaboard. Don’t worry, I am a bonded Guide. See?” Tyler showed Dean the bonding bracelet he was wearing on his left wrist. “I promise I will not intrude on you in anyway. I have my shields fully in place. But, I can help you with your senses, if you wish.”

“Nah, at least not right now. I need to wrap my head around all this first.”

“Perfectly understandable. Your brother has been anxious since he brought you in here, but we have made him aware that you needed complete isolation and rest. Now, Dean, can you tell me what happened to you? We need to pinpoint the cause of you coming on-line.”

Dean grabbed the bottle of water that was on the nightstand next to the bed he was on, and took a long drink. He needed a clear head because he wasn’t sure if the man was going to believe him or not.

“I run a part-time private investigator business. I’m licensed, don’t worry. And, I mostly work with the DC prosecutor’s office. They had me out checkin’ on a couple of witnesses in a major case. Just preliminary stuff, you know? I do a lot of the follow-ups with the detectives and sometimes the feebs if they are involved. It’s a lot of routine shit, you know? So, I had this follow-up, and everything went to hell.

“See, I got this...ability. I don’t want it, never wanted it, but I have it. Took me a long-time to accept that I was a freak. My parents, though they loved me, didn’t get it, but they took me to a friend of theirs named Missouri. She ah, she helped me, trained me. Trained Sammy as well. Though his _gift_ is stronger. Anyway, I had a lead on one of the witnesses that well... just didn’t sit right. Followed my gut, found out the bitch was lying the whole time and, well, her 6’5” 260 lb muscle bound boyfriend didn’t take too kindly to having said bitch called a liar.” Dean tried to laugh it off, but knew the man across from him wasn’t amused.

“So, he severely injured you, and all you did was go home?”

“Hey, I’ve gotten knocked around a few times before. Wasn’t like it was my first. But, I knew something was different. But, shit man, please tell me I’m not a freakin’ Sentinel? My life is already weird enough.”

Tyler grinned and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Winchester, I can’t do that. You have come online as a Sentinel. Your blood tests have come back positive. Now, as for the psychic…”

“I did not use the word psychic.” Dean glared at the Guide, he did not want to be known as a psychic.

“Dean, what you are describing is an early indicator of Sentinels and Guides. Many experience some form of psychic abilities in their time before coming online. Some even retain it after.”

“You mean I’m even more of a freak.”

“Mr. Winchester, you are in no way a freak The Sentinel/Guide community has come a long way in the last twenty years to being more widely accepted. The only thing that will happen is your status with the DOJ and with your college will change. Now, I know it’s early days, and you are going to need time to accept your new status, but you must think about a Guide, Dean. We can assign you a conservator, and they can help keep you stabilize till you can handle all of this on your own.”

“Ty, let me just get through the next twenty-four hours without having a major freak out before I even start thinkin’ about a Guide. So, when can I get sprung from this joint?”

“We’d like to keep you here for a few days to monitor your progress. When you collapsed you actually let out a mild empathic wave. It didn’t go very far, and no one was hurt, but that means you are probably a Theta level Sentinel, or possibly higher. We won’t know till you get some training, and you commune with your spirit animal.”

Dean blew out a breath as he stood and paced. He didn’t want to be penned in, and that’s what it felt like.

“Look, I know you gotta do what you gotta do, but do I have to stay here? Can I get popped from this room at least?”

Tyler chuckled as he stood, he didn’t offer his hand to Dean.

“I’ll see what I can do. Are you hungry? I can have some food brought in, and I will tell your brother that you are ready to see him.”

“Yeah, food sounds great. I’m starving. And, you better let Sammy in, he’s probably ready to tear the place apart.” Dean shook his head, and tried not to dial into Sam’s heartbeat. He didn’t have any training, and he was afraid of getting lost again in a zone.

“Let me see what the kitchen has for us today. Don’t worry, Dean. We will do everything we can to get you out and on your way in a reasonable amount of time.”

Dean just nodded as he realized they weren’t going to let him go right away. As Tyler was leaving, Dean called out for him, “Hey, if they got pie, I could seriously use a piece of pie.”

Tyler chuckled and shook his head before moving away to see what the kitchen could do for food for Dean.

Pacing his room like a caged animal was only making Dean crazy. But, so was sitting and staring at a blank wall. He almost sighed in relief as Sam practically busted down the door to get to him. He was pulled into a hard Sammy bear hug. Just when Dean thought that Sam wasn’t going to let him go, his brother finally pulled away.

“Dean, jeez man I’ve been so worried. They wouldn’t tell me much.”

“I’m fine, Sammy, see?” Dean spread his arms wide, and smiled a goofy smile for his brother.

Sam chuckled, and shook his head, “You’re ridiculous.”

The brothers sat on the bed talking. Dean told Sam about his online status which made them reminisce about their parents, Missouri, and everything that had brought them to this point. As they were laughing about a particular memory, there was a knock on Dean’s door, but he was up and at the door just a second before. He had smelled the food, and his stomach growled loudly.

Opening up, he looked at the tray laden with burgers, fries, water, and a couple of pieces of pie. Dean almost wept in relief that it was a burger and not some rabbit food, or some hippy-vegan-all vegetable-no-meat-nothing-fried health food fest. Taking the tray with a wide grin on his face, he thanked the young woman who had delivered it. After closing the door, he turned to Sam, and indicated with his head the small round table in the rear corner of the room.

“Looks good.” Dean rubbed his hands together before picking up the burger and taking a huge bite. “Wow, this is delicious. If I get food like this, I may never leave.” Dean laughed as he tucked into the rest, the food filling him up, and helping to clear his head even more.

“So, I may have to be here a few days, Sammy. They want to monitor me, make sure I won’t go batshit or somethin’. You gonna be okay for a while on your own?”

Sam’s expression went flat as he glared at Dean. “I am an adult Dean. I can take care of myself. Just your mothering won’t allow you to stop trying to take care of me.”

“Hey, Mom always made sure that I had your back Sammy, that’s all. Plus you do forget to eat if I don’t remind you. I know you got classes, so go. I’ll be fine.”

“Dean...”

“Sammy, I’ll be fine. Don’t want you to get dropped because of me, okay? You get your ass to your classes, and that is how you can help me.”

“Okay. I haven’t called Mom and Dad yet. I didn’t know how much you wanted to tell them.”

“Thanks. I’ll deal with them later. It’s getting late, get out of here, Sammy.”

Sam stood, and Dean did as well. He grabbed his brother and gave him another hug, just to help reassure him that he’d be okay. Finally, Sam left, which left Dean alone with his thoughts. He had way too many as he sat on the bed trying to sort it all out. He had phone calls to make, and difficult conversations to have with friends, family and his bosses. It was lucky that Hotch was online, and maybe could understand some of what he was going through. He thought about calling him first. He needed someone he knew that was outside his circle of friends that would understand.

He stood and looked in the drawers for his cell phone, and found it tucked into his pants in the dresser in the corner. He noticed that a charger was hooked up to the wall, and had to smile knowing that it was probably Sammy who had remembered to do that. He plugged in the device, then swiped the screen to unlock it and pull up his address book.

Dean held his thumb over the dial button and contemplated his actions. Rolling his neck to try to help relieve the tension there, he took a deep breath and dialed.

“ _Hotchner,”_ Dean heard the slight tension in his boss’s voice, and worried about that.

“Hey, Hotch. It’s me. I guess the Center has told you what’s going on.”

“ _Dean. How are you doing?”_

“Except for this damn pounding headache, okay. They wanna keep me here, Hotch. I tell you, if I have to spend too long in this damned room it’ll drive me crazy.”

The chuckle that Dean heard on the other end of the line had Dean smiling.

“ _I take it they want to do some training, and won’t let you leave till you can communicate with your spirit animal.”_

 _“_ Yeah, that. I don’t know if I can do it, Hotch. You know I don’t like being cramped-up.”

“ _Do you want me to send Spencer to help you for a few days? He’s going to be back from his lecture tour tomorrow. He’ll want to see you and Sam.”_

Dean thought about it for a few moments, thinking about his friend. If he had to have a conservator, then he wanted someone he knew. He did not want some stranger around him poking at him, or around in his head. Spencer was bonded, and he and Hotch were a Sigma pair. If he could help stabilize him enough that the Center would let him go, he was all in favor of that.

“Yeah, it’d be better than some damn stranger. Thanks, Hotch.”

“ _Hey, Spencer would take my head off if I didn’t offer. Sit tight. We’ll get you straightened out in no time, Dean.”_

“I don’t know how to thank you, Hotch.”

“ _Dean, you are an important part of this office. Don’t worry, just get yourself straightened out. I can have Derek meet with you in a day or so just to get us all updated on where you’re at on our cases. Then he can take over for a bit. I think he’d enjoy getting out of the office for a while.”_

Dean was grateful that Hotch was being so understanding. He rode them all pretty hard during the trial phase, but underneath it all he cared about his people. Dean wiped his face, and tried to clamp down on his emotions. He knew this was going to take some time. He wasn’t even sure if he was ready for all of these changes, though he knew he had no choice.

“ _Dean!”_ Aaron didn’t shout through the phone, but Dean shook out of the zone that he had been falling into. He had never been on the receiving end of Aaron’s Sentinel voice, and it freaked him out just a little.  

“Um, sorry. I ah, I just have a lot goin’ on in my head. Yeah, yeah I’ll talk to Morgan. But, maybe give it a coupla days?”

“ _Not a problem, Dean. You hang in there, and take care of yourself first. You know we’ll be there for you. Whatever you need. Coming online like you did isn’t easy. It’s going to be a bit of an adjustment. I want you to take your time. If you need to talk, you know where to find me.”_

“Right. Thanks, Hotch.” They talked for another few minutes, then Dean put the phone up. He didn’t have the energy to call anyone else at the moment, but he made a mental list for the next day. His parents at the top of his list. He wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. While his Mom would be very understanding, he wasn’t sure his Dad would be. John Winchester had major prejudices against Sentinels and Guides, though he never talked about why. Dean knew it had something to do with his Grandfather, but that was as much as he and Sam ever got when they questioned their father on why he hated Sentinels and Guides.

Even though Dean had only been up for a couple of hours, he was feeling very, very tired. The last couple of days had worn him out completely. He knew the fatigue would pass soon. Tyler kept reassuring him that it was just his body trying to reset itself as the Sentinel traits became stronger. He was falling back asleep when he felt something jump up onto his chest. Cracking open one eye, he saw a type of large cat circling around his chest.

“So, what the heck are you?” Dean didn’t recognize the species at all. “You supposed to be my spirit animal?” The small cat let out a fierce growl as she settled on top of Dean. “Hm, I bet you’re pretty fierce. You may be smaller than a tiger, but I bet you’d be just as deadly.” Dean smiled as he ran his hands over her fur. He knew she wasn’t real, but she felt real to him, and as he buried his fingers in that imagined fur, he felt more relaxed than he had the entire week previously. As his breathing evened out and his eyes started to close, the cat slowly disappeared, content that she had found her human. Dean couldn’t help the smile that crossed his lips as that contented feeling spread, and he fell asleep once more.

____________________________________________

**Part 2**

“Son-of-a-bitch,” Dean growled as he paced around the room, feeling cramped and boxed in. He wanted out of the Center. He wanted to go home, and he wanted his life back. But, they were worried about his progress and the fact that his instincts were near feral. He tried to tell them that it was because he felt so closed in. He was itchy, and was feeling, well the only word he could come up with was predatory. He was anxious, restless, and just plain bored.

Seraphim was out, and trailing next to him. She was growling as well, having picked-up on the mood of her human. Dean had done some digging at one of the Center’s computers, and found out his spirit animal was a Margay. A small predatory cat that lived primarily in the South American jungle. Dean liked her almost from the moment she had shown herself to him. He learned her name when the Center’s shaman, Lilith, helped him onto the spirit plane. He never wanted to repeat that experience, and was very grateful that he wasn’t a shaman. But, it was quickly becoming clear that Dean was most definitely a Theta with potential of being a Sigma with the right Guide bonded to him.

Right now, though, he didn’t want to think about bonding, or Guides or the spirit plane. Right now he just wanted out of the room and, frankly, out of the Center itself. He knew he was prowling, but it was because he was so on edge. When he just about couldn’t take it anymore, a soothing aura washed over him. He inhaled deeply trying to see if he could recognize the person by scent. When the door opened and he saw Spencer standing there, he almost collapsed in relief.

“Dude, you have got to get me out of this place. I am going stark raving mad,” the low growl was still in Dean’s voice, and all Spencer did was raise his brows at the man.

“They won’t let you out if you don’t dial it down. Dean, you are dialed up so high I’m surprised that other Guides aren’t at the door trying to get in to help you. It’s lucky for you that Aaron sent me over here. But, for me to help you I need to at least touch your wrist. Do I have your permission?”

“Yeah, whatever, just get it over with.”

Spencer chuckled as he walked over to Dean and wrapped his long fingers around his friend's wrist.

“Okay, listen to my voice, Dean. Concentrate on me, and dial back on your senses. I can feel how much you’re straining and fighting yourself. Let go, and calm down. Let’s start with your hearing, is anything too loud a the moment?”

“No, ah it’s about a 7. I've been able to function that high.”

“Okay we want to bring it down to a 2, can you do that? Concentrate on just your hearing, and as you hear me talk, I want you to bring it down to a 6, can you do that?” When the other man just nodded, Spencer continued. “Good, now take a deep breath, and bring it back to a 5, that’s it Sentinel. Calm your senses, or they are never letting you out of here.” Dean snorted at Spencer’s quick joke, and shook his head as he was led through the rest of his dial on his hearing.

“Good, now lets repeat that with your other senses. And don’t worry Dean, you will pay me back for this. I think a week of movies at the Rubicon will suffice.” Dean again shook his head, and couldn’t help smiling at the genius. It was never a hardship to spend time with the awkward, geeky Spencer Hotchner-Reid. They had become fast friends through Hotch, and Dean often sought out Spencer when he had a hard case, or one that was eluding him. Spencer always had great advice and it didn’t hurt that he was a lot like Sam.

Closing his eyes, he listened to Spencer, and dialed back on all of his senses. He also felt the Guide’s calming aura wrap around him soothing all of those newly awakened parts of himself. When all his senses were around a level two, he breathed a long sigh of relief. Taking another deep breath, he couldn’t help getting a whiff of Spencer’s scent, and was glad that the younger man was bonded, because Dean found him very alluring. But, the bonding bracelet, as well as Hotch’s scent mixed in with Spencer’s scent pile, told Dean he was taken. Laughing to himself, he pulled back, and for the first time in days he felt more like himself.

“Hey, thanks, Spencer. They were getting antsy ‘cause I didn’t fall at the feet of just any Guide. Didn’t trust any of them. So, yeah, thanks.”

“You’re my friend, Dean. It wasn’t hard to come down and help out. Hotch wants to know if you want to stay at our place for a few days after they let you out. That way I can keep helping you, and the Center won’t have anything to worry about.”

“That is if these assholes finally do let me out.”

“Stop growling at everyone, and they will.”

“You stayin’ for a while? Or, do you gotta leave?”

“I can stay for a while. I don’t have a class till four today. I have time.”

“Thanks again, Spencer. I don’t feel as anxious, but seriously I could use a damn beer.”

Spencer scrunched up his face as he sat on the edge of Dean’s bed.

“What?”

“Well, it’s just, alcohol may affect you differently. Aaron can barely tolerate a small glass of Bourbon. Give him a whole ale, and his dials on his senses go a little wild. When you do have something for the first time, make sure you have a Guide with you, if not it could get ugly.”

“Great, not even a beer,” Dean groused as he sat heavily on the bed next to Spencer. “I think I just want to go back to being just plain old Dean Winchester now. This has been fun, but I am really ready to get off this ride, thank you very much.”

Spencer smiled sadly, and knew no matter what he said, it wasn’t going to change Dean’s newfound circumstances.

“Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. There is no magic switch to turn it on and off. Though during WWII in Nazi Germany they tried to force the Sentinel gene to manifest. The experiments were horrific, if not a little fascinating. I’d bet that there was one or two instances that it worked, but they didn’t even realize that it takes the body time to adjust and accept its new role as a Sentinel or a Guide. There was also a study in the 1960’s in Russia when they were experimenting with those that claimed they were psychic, where they had almost activated dormant Sentinel genes. It was unfortunate that all of the subjects went crazy and died within months of the activation.”

Dean was just staring at Spencer as he rambled. It wasn’t so much the information, but just the warmth of Spencer’s voice and the aura he was still projecting that kept Dean in a calm, even state. It made him wonder if he would be ready to try for a Guide search.

“Hey, you zoned out. Did my rambling do that?” Spencer gave a little self-deprecating laugh as he bumped his shoulder with Dean’s.

“Look, I have a few calls to make. You don’t have to be here for those. I’ll be okay, Spencer.”

Spencer studied him for a moment and Dean felt a gentle brush of his empathy, assessing him, making sure that he would be okay on his own for a while.

“Okay, just come find me when you’re done. We’ll talk to Tyler, and see about getting you out of here.”

Dean watched Spencer walk out the door, and sat down on his bed as he reached out for his phone that was sitting on the nightstand. The first thing he did was call and let his academic advisor know that he was okay, and he was trying to get out of the S&G Center as soon as possible. He would be staying with friends, and he hoped to be released to go back to school soon. His advisor was understanding, and since the school had contracts with the Center they couldn’t censure any student who came online during the school year. Dean was very grateful for that.

After, he dialed Derek’s number to find out if he could come by the Center so they could talk. Luckily, the man had a light case load, and could be there in a couple of hours. Dean took the opportunity to get dressed and look presentable.

When he was done, he went looking for Spencer who was in the library, which was no surprise.

“Hey, ah thanks for coming. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem, Dean.”

“Morgan will be here in a little bit. I’m sure the Center doesn’t want me to go back to work yet.”

“No, Dean. We’d like you to get more used to you being a Sentinel first. That means continuing the classes, at least for a little while.” Tyler came into the library, and sat down at the table that Spencer and Dean were currently occupying.

“Yeah, okay. So, can I get out of here?”

“You are much more stable than you were just a couple of days ago. I don’t see why you can’t. Plus, I trust Aaron and Spencer. They will be able to keep you grounded till you have a better handle on yourself.”

“What about school? I have a final project I need to get finished.”

“That shouldn’t put any undue stress on you at this time. I know George Mason University has a small Center on their campus in case you get stuck or Spencer isn’t available.”

“Thank you. I didn’t mean to be so, you know.”

Tyler laughed, and leaned forward, “It’s perfectly natural. You came online during a very traumatic event. It’s no wonder you have had a difficult time of it. But, in the short time that you’ve been here you’ve learned a lot. We feel better knowing that, with Spencer, you have the help you are going to need for the next few days till you’re more settled.”

Dean shook Tyler’s hand, thanking him once again for all that the Center did. He then sat back, and waited for Derek, which didn’t take long at all. The man was shown into the library where he and Spencer were still hanging out and talking. When he entered the room, Dean stood and watched as Derek walked over to them. The force of attraction was like a punch in the gut. His breath rushed out of him, and he felt a little dizzy. Before Spencer could stop him, Derek rushed forward and grabbed Dean by the upper arms to help steady him.

Dean swallowed hard as he looked up and saw concern in those chocolate brown eyes. But, there was something else as well.

“Well, that’s embarrassing.” Dean tried to laugh it off as he sat down.

“What happened?”

“You, I just, you walked in and it all just felt so right.” It was the only explanation that Dean had for what he felt.

“Yeah?” Derek smiled and Dean tried to stifle the groan that wanted to bubble up. “Cause I ah, I felt it too.”

“Well damn. I like you, Derek, I do, and I think you’re hot.” Dean smirked as he said it, “But, I don’t know about anything more than that. This is all new to me.”

“Dean, relax. It could just be your newly wakened Sentinel reaching out. The kid here’s already bonded, and I’m not.”

Dean took a few deep breaths, and let himself sit down with Derek across from him. Nodding, he thought maybe Derek was right. His Sentinel side was reaching out, looking for that other half of himself. He really wished he had paid closer attention in school, and at this moment he wished his father had let him take the classes at the local Center in Lawrence. He still didn’t know what John Winchester had against Sentinels and Guides. All he knew is when he went back home for a visit, it was going to be very awkward.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right, and at the moment I don’t really want a bonding. I’ve got to get myself straightened out before I have that with anyone.” Though there was that small voice inside him, the one he had suppressed all these years telling him that Derek Morgan was his Guide.

“Look, they won’t let me outta here unless I take some down time. Aaron and Spencer have a room that they want me to take for a few days, just so I stay at this level on a steadier basis. Which means, I gotta pass my cases off to you. Jordan e-mailed me all the files, and I am to go over them with you. Aaron said you’d take them up?”

“I’d be happy to, Dean.” The smile he got warmed something inside him, but Dean still didn’t want to admit what it was. He wasn’t lying to Derek when he said that he wasn’t ready. Too much had happened in too short a time. They spent some time going over the cases and where Dean was at on them, then e-mailed all the information to Derek’s e-mail. Afterwards, they said their goodbye’s, and Dean let him go.

He slumped in the chair, and played with the napkin for a bit trying to settle himself. Watching Derek walk out the door was hard, and that scared him.

“Hey, it’s okay to be uncertain. Believe me when I came online and figured out Aaron was my Sentinel, I wasn’t ready either. Give it time Dean, you’ll know when it’s right.”

“You read me?”

Spencer smirked as he put his book aside and looked at his friend.

“I did not have to read you, Dean. The way you were looking at Derek, well, you looked like you wanted to climb into his lap and claim him. I don’t think he would have said no.”

Dean shook his head, and quirked up the side of his mouth because Spencer wasn’t wrong.

“Yeah, you aren’t wrong kiddo. Now, do you mind if we finally get out of here?”

Spencer chuckled, and followed Dean back to his room so he could pack the few things that Sam had brought him. The paperwork for his release didn’t take long to settle, and promises were solicited that he would keep up with the classes then finally they let him go. Dean was quiet on the ride to Spencer and Aaron’s place, and didn’t truly settle till he was there. Once they walked into the house, Dean breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he was going to be okay with his friends and family supporting him. He told Spencer he wanted to rest, and went to the spare room he knew was there and stretched out on the bed. It wasn’t long before he fell into the first truly restful sleep he’d had in over two weeks. He would worry about all the other stuff in his life later on, but for now, he just wanted to enjoy the quiet. Everything else, including Derek Morgan, could wait.

_________________________________________________________________

**Part 3**

Dean had been with Aaron and Spencer for a week to continue settling into his new reality. He was finding it easier to deal with, and his talks with Aaron and what he had gone through when he had come on-line, had helped a great deal. When they asked if he wanted a tether, he seriously considered it, but declined. He thought it would be harder to break in the long-run. It was enough at the moment to be where he could think clearly, and have people who understood what he was going through.

Aaron and Spencer had taken their son out for the evening, letting Dean have the run of the house. He was trying to be conscientious about being in another person’s house, and not be the messy person he was in his own apartment. Though, as he settled into his Sentinel side, he found clutter utterly annoying. He found himself unconsciously keeping things tidy. When he asked Aaron about it, the man chuckled and told him that it was often something that a lot of newly on-line Sentinels found out. Too much clutter meant too much stimuli and a Sentinel didn’t need the extra stimulus in their personal surroundings. Many have found that they become quite the neat freaks. Dean doubted he would go that far, but he found he liked a tidy space. Sam was never going to let him live this down when he went back to the apartment.

Dean was at the desk in the den on his laptop working on some CAD drawings. His thesis and working model of his thesis were due in a few weeks, and he was already behind. The initial build for his project was done, now it was down to the tweaking and figuring out where he might have gone wrong. He tweaked some things on the diagram, and ran a simulation to see if he got the results he was hoping for. Dean was lost in his thoughts when there was a knock on the front door, startling him out of what he was engrossed in.

Closing down his project after saving the changes, Dean stood and went to answer the door. He let his Sentinel hearing try to discern who it was on the other side of the door. The heartbeat was familiar, and Dean smiled to himself then opened the door.

“Derek, what are you doing here?”

“Bossman said you would be alone tonight, so I picked up dinner. Just burgers and beer. Thought you might like to watch the game with me.”

Dean knew there was more to it, but his stomach rumbled, and he realized he hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

“Sure, smells great. You want a glass for the beer?”

“Nah.” Derek flashed a wide smile as he walked towards the living room with the food. “Thought you might like to just hang, relax a bit, you know?”

Dean shook his head as he followed Derek to the living room. One thing he was grateful for with Aaron was the sports channels. Though the only sports Spencer liked was basketball, some nights found Aaron, Dean, and Jack watching whatever game was on TV that night.

Dean sat down next to Derek and turned on the television, flipping through the channels till they found a game they could both agree on. Tonight it looked like it would be college football. They ate in companionable silence, and watched the game together. There were friendly arguments on some of the referee calls, or a play that should have been called but wasn’t. There was no malice or ill intent in the arguments and by the time the game was done, Dean looked over and tried to tamp down on the want that welled up inside him. The Sentinel in him felt safe and settled around Derek. The man’s natural empathy surrounded him, but it wasn’t invasive, it was soothing. He didn’t want to come to rely on this, but he also didn’t want to let Derek go.

He watched as Derek moved into the kitchen and grabbed more beers for them. So far Dean had been able to tolerate two of them whenever he drank, but he was finding that he didn’t have the desire to drink like he used to. When Derek came back and sat even closer to Dean, his heart pounded and he swallowed hard, tamping down on the emotions that were swarming inside him.

“Dean, relax. I didn’t come here for anything more than just sharing a meal and a game with you.”

“I know, but I gotta know something.” Dean worried his lip as he watched Derek stretching out. He sucked in a breath noticing the ripple of muscles just under the tight t-shirt he was wearing.

“What do you need to know?”

Dean made a bold move, one that had been coming for a long-time, but he never had wanted to pursue anything with the Guide knowing he could possibly find his Sentinel at some point. He hadn’t wanted to get invested in any kind of relationship with the paralegal, but now, now everything was very different. He sat in Derek’s lap, then leaned in and kissed the man under him, long and slow. He didn’t want to rush the kiss, he wanted to know what Derek felt like and tasted like. He put one hand on Derek’s still covered chest, and wrapped a hand around his waist to ground himself. He prolonged the kiss, and deepened it little by little. Dean almost purred when Derek wrapped his hands around his own waist and pulled him in closer.

His heart raced, and he could feel his blood pumping faster. Finally, when he knew he just couldn’t take it anymore, and to prevent them from taking this further without talking, Dean broke the kiss.

“Well that answers that,” he said as he pulled back.

“And, just what does that answer?” Derek smirked, but didn’t move his hands form Dean’s waist.

“That we would be very good together.”

“Yeah, we would. Did you doubt that?”

“I don’t know. I just never thought I’d get the chance to find out.” Derek slid a hand behind Dean’s head, and pulled him back down. The Sentinel didn’t even protest as he smiled and let himself be kissed, again. They stayed like that, letting their kisses speak for themselves and only broke apart when the front door was being unlocked.

Dean sheepishly slid off Derek’s lap, and sat next to him, picking up his beer and taking a long drink as Jack ran into the room.

“Uncle Derek, I didn’t know you were gonna be here.” Derek smiled as the boy flew at him.

“Hey kiddo. It was a surprise visit.”

“I bet,” Spencer said, not quite under his breath, but the smirk on his face had Aaron rolling his eyes.

“Come on buddy, let’s get you ready for bed.” Aaron shook his head as Jack said his goodnights, and headed towards his room.

“Not a word.” Dean looked right at Spencer, and narrowed his eyes.

“I’m not saying a thing. What you two do is your business.”

“Un huh.”

Spencer smirked as he folded himself in one of the chairs to the side of the couch.

“We’re taking our time here Spencer. I’m still getting my feet under me and getting used to all this. And, we haven’t even had much of a chance to talk.”

“Pretty Boy, if and when anything changes, you know you’ll be the second to know.”

"Hmm, yeah like you were Mr. Patient with Aaron and myself. I think I recall you being very, very nosy about the whole thing.”

“Yeah, and when you hacked my stereo system where it only played Sex Pistols every time I turned it on I knew then to butt my nose outta your business.” Derek chuckled at the sly smile on Spencer’s face as he looked between the two men.

“Well, I don’t think it’ll take you two long to figure it out. And, I’m glad.” Spencer smiled as he stood up, gave them a little wave goodnight, then went to his own room.

“Dude, he hacked your stereo?” Dean couldn’t keep the near glee off his face.

“Kid’s got a mean streak when it comes to pranks, but don’t worry, I got him back.” Derek turned to look at Dean, then prodded him closer. “I like you, Dean. Since you started workin’ for Aaron, in fact. But, I’ve been just as hesitant. I think we have somethin’ here, but, I’ll take your lead.”

Dean leaned in, and kissed him again, taking a deep breath and letting Derek’s empathy wrap around him even more. Physically, he wanted to drag Derek off somewhere private and quiet and imprint on every single part of the man, but emotionally and mentally, he wanted to be sure. Too often he jumped into bed with someone, but this time it was bigger, and it meant so much more. They would be bonded, connected together in every way possible. Breaking from the kiss Dean saw his spirit animal curled up on the chair Spencer had vacated with a black bear laying on the floor at the legs of the chair.

Derek grinned at the two animals, close, but not quite touching each other yet.

“Black bear, huh.” Dean took a deep breath as he settled back on the couch at Derek’s side.

“Yeah, that’s Simon, been with me since I came online.” A flash of momentary pain flitted across Derek’s face.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Look, I know we have a lot to talk about, and there are things I want to tell you, but not tonight. Tonight, I’m going to say my goodbyes or we may both end up doing something we regret doing. And, I don’t want any regrets between us.”

Dean pulled back, linked his fingers with Derek’s and was silent a moment, collecting his thoughts.

“I don’t want any regrets between us either. Thank you for tonight. This was fun. How about tomorrow? And, out of the house, somewhere casual where we can talk.”

“I know the perfect place, around 7:00?”

“I’ll pick you up.”

Neither man wanted to officially call it a date, but they both knew what it was. Derek stood a moment later, and Dean walked him to the door. They shared a goodnight kiss that was just this side of chaste. Dean itched to touch skin, but he knew he wasn’t ready for it yet, the sensory input from that much intimacy would push him into a mating drive, and he knew it.

“Goodnight Derek.” Dean smiled as he watched the man walk out the door and to his car. Seraphim whined as she wound around Dean’s legs, he bent and picked her up, petting and scratching down her back. “Yeah, I know sweetheart. But, we want to be sure, don’t want to just jump in. Patience.”

Seraphim looked up at him, and he would swear that she understood him. Closing the door, Dean walked to his room and got ready for bed. He felt more settled than he had for a very long time. He would be patient, and let things happen naturally. He wanted Derek, they fit well together and having been friends for a while now, it seemed that slipping into a relationship was going to be easier than Dean had expected. He did a quick assessment of his senses, and found them more even than they had been since coming on-line. He knew part of it was being around Aaron and Spencer. The bonded pair knew exactly what he needed, and he was grateful for it. But, the larger part was Derek. Just those few hours with him hand helped him immensely. He almost felt normal again. The next hurdle to get over was his parents. He just wasn’t sure what was going to happen when he felt comfortable enough to take Derek home with him. His father’s prejudice against Sentinels and Guides had never been explained to him, and he was determined to figure it out.

As Dean was falling asleep, he had one of his flashes, he knew it was the future, it felt like one of his visions. This time he didn’t fight it, he let himself fully see it. He saw himself and Derek with two children, happy. He also saw Sam with someone, but they were slightly obscured. Dean didn’t try to force it, that had always gone bad for him in the past. He also saw his mother, but not his father. They were in the backyard of a house, he wasn’t sure whose, but there was a sense of sadness to the whole scene. Just as abruptly as it started, the vision ended. Dean took a shaky breath as he grabbed his journal, and wrote down everything he could remember. After, he was feeling exhausted. The visions always took a little something out of him. Letting out the breath he had been holding, he crawled into bed and tried not to speculate on the vision. If it came to pass, he would deal with it then. If it didn’t, then it had just been one of many possible futures.

Sleep didn’t come easy, but when it finally did come, Dean was able to get into a deep sleep. His fears and anxieties set aside for the night. With Seraphim curled up around him he felt content for the first time in a very long time.

________________________________________

**Part 4**

Their first date went very well, as had their second and their third and, so forth to where Dean and Derek moved into a routine of sorts. The budding relationship was helping to stabilize Dean even more, and he was having fewer and fewer zones. The classes were going well, and the Center told him if he kept stable that he would no longer need to come in.

After a couple of weeks, Dean also moved back into his apartment, over Aaron and Spencer’s protests, of course. They enjoyed having him in the house, and felt he wasn’t any type of burden. Dean, though, wanted his own space back, and he needed to spend some time with his brother, who he felt he was neglecting in all of this.

When he moved back into his own space, Dean felt even more settled than he had in the almost two months since coming online so drastically.

He told Derek he needed to take a few days to spend with his brother. Derek, having siblings of his own, knew the value of family and understood Dean’s need to reconnect.

He was currently in the middle of trying to finish his final project, having only a couple of weeks of school left, when there was a knock on his door. Frowning, Dean went to go answer it, when he got close he heard not one, but two heartbeats on the other side. He knew that he and Derek didn’t have anything planned for the evening, and Sam was out with friends for a few hours. Slowly, Dean reached out with his senses, and tried to figure out who was there. When he was pushed back, a growl escaped his throat as he got closer to the door.

“Who is it?” he ground out through gritted teeth.

“Dean, relax it’s just us.” Dean let his head drop a bit as he heard his mother’s voice. He had not expected his parents at all. He didn’t have time for them as he was under a time crunch to finish up his school projects. It was his last semester for his master’s, and with him coming online he was already behind.

Shaking his head, he opened the door to see Mary and John Winchester standing there. Glaring at them, he stepped back and gestured for them to enter.

“What are you guys doing here? I don’t have time. I have to finish my project for school, and I really don’t want to screw this up.”

Mary moved forward to hug her son, and he gave her a quick hug. His father he just gave a handshake to.

“Son, we came to see how you were. You call us more than two months ago to tell us you came online, but then we haven’t heard anything back from you.” John pushed past heading right to the kitchen, and Dean knew exactly what he was looking for. Luckily, all he and Sam had was some beer. They had gotten rid of all the hard alcohol when they figured out that even just a small hard drink played havoc with Dean’s senses, but beer and ales didn’t, as long as he kept it to one or two.

“All you have is beer?”

“Yes Dad, I can’t drink anything stronger than beer. You won’t get any hard alcohol in here.”

He felt the angry emotions from his father almost immediately, and it took all of Dean’s control not to zone, or to flip out and throw his parents out. What he really wanted at that moment was to call Derek. Thinking about his Guide made him relax a little and process, so that he wouldn’t do something stupid.

“Let’s go sit down.” Dean led them to the couch in the living room, and they all sat, an awkward silence passed between them all.

“Where’s Samuel?” Mary finally asked, trying to break that awkward silence.

“He went out with some friends. He’ll be back in a few hours.” Dean abruptly stood, and went and got a beer for himself. He needed a little fortification for this conversation he knew was coming. When he got back he could feel his father glaring at him.

“Go on, Dad, whatever you’re going to say, say it.” Dean glared right back at him.

“You let yourself come online. What the hell have I tried to tell you? Huh?”

“That you never wanted me to come online, and how being a Sentinel would ruin my life. Well, gotta tell you Dad, that hasn’t happened so far. In fact, my boss is an online Sentinel and is part of a bonded pair. I should be so lucky to have what they have.”

“No son of mine will bond with a damn Guide,” John growled as he leaned forward in his chair.

“And, you have no say in whether I find my Guide or not. You know, I’m really sick and tired of your attitude and prejudice towards Sentinels and Guides. The S&G Center was pretty upset with how I came online. They told me that it should have happened to me a long time ago. I didn’t tell them it was because of you that I didn’t. So, cut the crap, Dad.”

John Winchester was out of the chair like a shot, and grabbed Dean’s shirt hauling his son out of his chair. Mary was shouting at John to leave Dean alone.

“What are you going to do, Dad? Are you going to hit me? Because if you do, I won’t be responsible for my reaction. Let me go, _now!_ ” Dean used his Sentinel voice on his own father. The man let Dean go as he sank to his knees from the force of that voice alone.

“Dean!” His mother was shocked at what he had just done.

“Oh for chrissakes, stop fucking defending him, Mom. The man is an abusive, drunken asshole that kept both Sammy and I from coming online, because of his hatred and prejudice against Sentinels and Guides. You need to take some responsibility for that as well. Always being gone, and leaving us with him. I’m not a weak child anymore that can be bullied around.”

“No, no you aren’t Dean. I’m sorry…”

“No, don’t apologize for him or for yourself. You were gone so much you left us in his hands. I love you, Mom, but there is a lot you don’t want to face up to.”

“Dean…” Mary looked stricken, almost like Dean had slapped her.

“Look, I don’t want you here. I want you both to leave. You tell me where you are staying and how long you are staying, and I’ll come to you when I’m ready, not before. Understand?”

“Perfectly,” John sneered as he stood up. The animosity pouring off him was giving Dean a headache. That small amount of empathy he had inside him was trying to break free to soothe everyone, but Dean didn’t want that. He pushed back against the feelings his father was projecting, and it hurt knowing they were projected at him.

“We’re staying at the Melrose, room 512, we booked for the whole week. Dean, I’m sorry.” Mary grabbed John’s arm, and pulled him out of the apartment while Dean tried to get a handle on his emotions.

He was pacing back and forth still very agitated about his parents visit when Sam walked in the door.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Mom and Dad showed up.” Dean pressed his lips together as his agitation rose.

“They didn’t call or anything.”

“Yeah, I know. Dad started to go off on his 'Sentinels are evil' tirade and I lost it.”

“Dean!”

“Hey, he’s fine, but I just didn’t want to deal with him and Mom right now. They are staying at the Melrose. Look, I need to get out of here. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“Dean, come on, talk to me.”

Dean took a breath then looked at his brother a moment and realized who it was he wanted, or actually who he needed.

“Look, Sam, I know you want to help, but in this you can’t. It was just all the same crap Dad has spewed all of our lives. Just worse now that I’m online. I need to get out of here.” Dean grabbed his jacket and keys and went down to his car and hopped in. He unconsciously drove towards Derek’s place, and thinking about his Guide started him considering what he wanted. What he _really_ wanted, and what he wanted was Derek. He drove a little too fast, a little too desperate to get to his Guide, his emotions were everywhere causing sensory spikes as he drove. He knew he probably should have called and shouldn’t be driving, but the only thought that he had in his head was his need to get to Derek.

He hastily parked his car and slammed the door on his way out, then he ran up the steps and up the five flights of stairs to get to his Guide. When he got there the door was flung open, his spirit animal ran inside ahead of him and Derek was right there to catch him before he fell too far.

“Hey, hey Dean, what happened?” Derek held the almost feral Sentinel in his arms as Dean wrapped around him. “Baby, let’s get you dialed back. Then you tell me what happened.” It took a few minutes for him to settle, to let the anger at his parents pass, but the persistent want of his Guide was still there letting Dean know they needed to talk. Taking deep breaths, he settled back with Derek on the couch.

Dean wiped a hand down his face, and steadied his emotions.

“My parents came to see me. Gave me no warning, and I couldn’t deal with them.” He looked at Derek, and knew this conversations had been a long time in coming.

“My father, John Winchester, he’s a latent Sentinel that never came online. They believe it’s because of his PTSD from being in the Korean war. Mom says that he came back different, and never truly recovered. Mom, though, is a Guide, and she works for the Sentinel and Guide Center out of Kansas City. She travels a lot, and that meant she left us with Dad.” Dean stood and paced back and forth.

“My father is a drunken bastard. I tried to protect Sammy as much as possible from him. The Center thinks that may be why I didn’t come online earlier, even though we got some training from Missouri because of the visions we were having. She thought we were coming online, but…”

“Dean, are you saying your father hit you?” Derek asked as he pulled Dean into his lap, and held him close.

“It was more than that. He hates Sentinels, he said he was going to beat it out of me if it was the last thing he ever did. I think...I think when that guy attacked me, I think it was the last straw. It’s like whatever it is inside that makes me a Sentinel had enough. My father tried to suppress it, and now that I am one, I think he hates me even more.” Dean swiped at his eyes, and tried to block the pain and anger that he was feeling.

Derek just wrapped his arms around Dean, and held him close, letting him know that he was there for him. Dean felt Derek’s empathy wrap around him, soothing all those hurt places that his father had pushed at earlier in the evening. Burying his head against Derek’s neck, Dean inhaled his scent and shuddered. Wanting more, needing more he mouthed at that soft spot on Derek’s neck and let the taste of him flood his senses. He had already imprinted sight, sound and scent. They had been careful about touching, but Dean didn’t want to be careful anymore. It was the last sense that he had yet to imprint, and he knew when he did it would drive his mating instincts.

“Derek,” Dean moaned as he gripped the front of Derek’s shirt, trying to stop himself. He had been fighting his instincts since the day Derek walked into the Center.

“What do you want Sentinel?”

“I want you. I don’t want to fight this anymore. These last few weeks have been perfect Derek, but I want more.”

“Then stop holding back. I want this too, Dean.”

“I…” Dean was also thinking about Derek, about his past and what had happened to him. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to hurt his Guide in any way.

“Dean, you aren’t gonna hurt me. I dealt with all of that a long time ago. I promise that whatever we do, it’s between us and no one else.”

Pulling back, Dean saw need swimming in Derek’s eyes as he felt that same need coursing through him. He knew this was it, the moment he touched skin, he wouldn’t be able to hold back the Sentinel in him any longer. Lifting Derek’s shirt from him, Dean lightly touched the dark, soft skin of Derek’s chest. That spark that had been between them for a long time ignited as Dean let his hands glide over Derek’s body, taking in the feel of him as the last sense imprinted. He was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath by Derek at the intimate touch.

Dean let go only long enough to pull his shirt off himself then grabbed Derek by the hips and pulled him close, kissing him hard as his hands slid up Derek’s chest. He slowly deepened the kiss as he felt the bond deep within beginning to form. Slowly, he stood up and pulled Derek up with him and started towards the bedroom where he was going to claim his Guide. And when he was done, no one would be able to take Derek from him, especially not his father.

_____________________________

**Part 5**

Several hours later, the two men crawled out from the bed to shower, and stumble their way to the kitchen.

“Dean, we never talked about living arrangements.”

“Shit.” Dean wiped a hand down his face as he felt the bond pleasantly buzzing under his skin. The connection to Derek was strong, and that part of him that had always ached to _belong_ somehow, even to someone had been soothed. He felt Derek’s empathy brush against his mind as he was pulled into strong arms and held.

“Hey, not a big deal, Dean. I was going to be moving soon. I finished one of my houses that I’m keeping for myself. It’s big enough for us both.”

Dean kissed Derek with a fierce possessiveness that surprised even him. When he pulled back he pressed his forehead to Derek’s and sighed. Even though this was all happening fast, it was what he wanted. He wanted this life, he wanted to be the Sentinel that Derek deserved. Breathing in his Guides scent helped to settle him more.

“I’m not ready to say…”

“Shh, you don’t have to. I can feel inside me how much you care. This is just our beginning Dean.”

“I hate to get you involved in my family drama, but I know my Mom is going to want to meet you. I’ll say I’m sorry now for my father.”

“Dean, never apologize for family that hurts you. It isn’t your fault that he is what he is. Just because he can’t let go of his prejudice, doesn’t mean you have to accept it.”

Dean leaned into Derek, and closed his eyes letting himself be wrapped up in strong arms and Derek’s empathy. He knew the next couple of weeks were going to be hard, but when had he ever backed down from the difficult things. As he tried to relax, he remembered he left Sam all alone with no explanation.

“Shit.”

“What’s wrong?” Derek asked as he gently rubbed Dean’s arm, trying to keep him even.

“I just left Sam there alone. I didn’t even tell him where I was going. I need to call him to let him know that everything is fine or that kid will worry himself to death.”

Dean pulled out of Derek’s embrace and went to the bedroom to look for his phone. When he found it he sat on the edge of the bed and dialed the apartment hoping Sam would pick up.

“ _Dean_!” Sam practically yelled into the phone.

“Hey, Sammy, I’m sorry.”

“ _Where’d you go? I’ve been worried sick, Dean_.”

“I’m at Derek’s. Look, we ah, we bonded.” Dean knew Sam couldn’t see, but it didn’t prevent the blush that creeped up his face. He felt his cheeks get hot as his voice cracked.

“ _So, I guess that means you’re moving_.” It was more statement than question and Dean felt bad that he was leaving Sam behind.

“Yeah. I don’t think we can be too far from each other right now. I know we’ll need a few days to nest, and I need to go see Ty at the Center and hopefully they’ll let me get back to work.”

" _We aren’t tied at the hip, Dean. I am a grown man, and can manage on my own_.”

“Who’s gonna make sure you’re eating right? You forget all the time. I can’t help worrying about you, Sammy. And you should get checked out at the Center. Maybe being away from Dad…” Dean frowned and kept his anger in check. He didn’t want a worried Guide on his hands while talking to Sam.

“ _I get it, Dean, you don’t have to explain. I’ll go see them in a few days. Just…_ ”

“Yeah, I know. No chick-flick moments, I’m not dyin’ just movin’, Sam.”

“ _We are certainly melodramatic, aren’t we_?”

Dean couldn’t help the snort as he shook his head. He loved Sam, and would always worry about him, but he was right. They both needed to grow-up, and be their own person’s. He couldn’t take care of Sam for the rest of his life. But, he knew he was going to try, no matter how old they got. It had been his job as the big brother to always watch out for Sam. He had made it his job, especially protecting the kid, even against their own father.

“Gotta go, Sammy. And, make sure you eat, and rest.”

“ _Goodbye, Dean_ ,” Sam huffed through the phone as he hung up, and Dean just smiled as he looked down at it.

“Everything okay?” Derek asked as he leaned in the doorway, and smiled wistfully at his Sentinel.

“Yeah, everything's fine. I just worry about the kid sometimes. Doesn’t eat right when he gets on a project, and his sleep is worse than mine.”

Derek’s eyes darkened as he slowly stalked towards Dean. He took the phone out of his hand and placed his knee on the bed, looking down at Dean. The Sentinel lifted a brow, and gave a little smile as he scooted back on the bed.

“Well, I think we can remedy your sleep problem, don’t you think, Sentinel?” The bond thrummed inside him as his pulse raced knowing what his Guide wanted. Dean hoped that he never got tired of how his Guide felt both emotionally, and physically. His body shook as that tight heat wrapped around him, and he moved with Derek, falling into the bond more and more. He loved how open Derek was to him. How his empathy engulfed him as he opened his senses and let go. The two writhed together, connected, loved, knowing the other would always be there. The bond flowed freely between them as Dean surged up, and his body shuddered, with Derek following close behind. Bending, Dean took Derek’s mouth in a searing kiss that branded the both of them. Pulling away, overwhelmed by emotion Dean buried his head against Derek’s neck. He wondered if it would always be like this. He certainly hoped it would.

“I think we should clean up,” Derek softly chuckled as he gripped the back of Dean’s neck, grounding him, letting his Sentinel ride out the wave of emotions that welled up between them.

When he could finally get his breath back, Dean stood on shaky legs, and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower. He sighed in happiness as he felt his Guide come up behind him and wrap his arms around him. They took their time, caring for each other as they couldn’t get enough of touching. They knew this part would settle eventually, and the need to touch wouldn’t be so urgent. Now, though, they enjoyed every minute of it.

Plans were made to so see Derek’s family, which Dean was nervous about, but Derek kept reassuring him that Fran and his sisters would love him. Since he didn’t have a good track record with family, he promised that he would keep an open mind and not hide. He also knew he should introduce Derek to at least his mother. He was coming to the realization that nothing he did would make his father happy, no matter if _he_ was happy. It would be difficult, but he didn’t want to hide Derek at all. He was already falling in love with his Guide, but he wasn’t ready to say the words yet, though, he knew he was close.

After their bonding period was over, Dean had a complete work up at the Center and Tyler declared him fit to go back to work. They were also happy that he had found his Guide and bonded. Work went back to normal, he was still having visions, mostly about Sam and the unknown stranger. He wondered if his brother was coming online, and the stranger was his Guide, but with his life, it was never that simple of an explanation. Aaron kept him busy, and with school being over he had time to breathe.

Derek told Dean about the house that he had just finished renovating. It would be perfect for the two of them. Moving into the house with Derek was easy. Though, he knew there would be conflicts, he was ready for whatever came their way. When he looked over in the corner of his small office, he saw Simon and Seraphim curled up together, and it made him smile. He was confident that with Derek and Sam by his side, he could face anything head on.  



End file.
